Westerlies

7 July 2013

Update by Hannah: 
“Today, the fifth of July, we are on watch again. We haven’t been on watch for nearly two days; for those who are following the route of the ship may notice the 360 degree turn made in these last two days. 
We ran into some pretty heavy weather. The professional crew have been working incredibly hard through difficult conditions. We are now back on track with favourable winds. We have found the Westerlies! 
Last time we were on watch all was calm. However when we woke up on Thursday morning the main gaff had been torn off and was in repair. On stepping out on deck at 08:30, the schooner sail almost ripped in two and all passengers were told to go below. The swell was five meters high. The deck was awash with water that came up to the ankles. The rain lashed down and the sky was filled with formidable grey clouds. Below deck cutlery, glasses and plates crashed constantly and the coffee table started rolling around. The professional crew worked hard to make the ship safe. At around 10:30 AM, the first mate and the two deckhands who had been on the night watch told us with an excited but relieved smile that all was well on deck. And we were able to go up. 
What we found on deck was all sails down save for a storm jib. The engine was running. The swell was still high and it was still raining. But with the swell behind us, the ship felt more stable and was finally on the right course. We had a look at the charts and it looked like someone had drawn a half knot. But it was in fact the route we had taken in the last 24 hours. 
The chef was still able to provide us with hearty meals and snacks. The captain was calm and always kept us informed & safe. 
We are all well and no one was injured and spirits remained high throughout the storm.”